The Morning Show season 2 has started its run on Apple TV+, and critics have been a bit more positive in reviews than they were to season 1. Starring an ensemble cast led by Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston and featuring the likes of Billy Crudup, Mark Duplass, Mindy Kaling and Hasan Minhaj, The Morning Show season 2 continues the story of a major network morning news show submerged in scandal and workplace drama. The series’ first season was meant to be the standard bearer for the launch of Apple TV+, but it fell woefully short of expectations.
While The Morning Show season 1 received praise for its talented ensemble and high production values – which came at the cost of an incredibly high budget – it received significant criticism for falling short in the narrative department. The show was clearly shooting for the heights of previously successful and politically charged dramas like The Newsroom and The West Wing. Unfortunately, the critical consensus was that The Morning Show season 1 lacked the nuanced and intelligence to compete at that level.
So far, the reception to The Morning Show season 2 seems to be at least a bit more positive. Season 1 currently holds a 61 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes – just barely in the “fresh” category, while season 2 currently stands at 68 percent. Here’s what critics are saying about The Morning Show season 2, and why it’s performing better than season 1.
“The Morning Show is a camp masterpiece. Liberated from its previous desire to parse events in a meaningful way, it's become stranger and more fun.”
“‘The Morning Show’ most definitely succeeds at striking the balance between advancing its own personality-driven narrative and tackling topical issues in one entertaining drama.”
“After watching all 10 episodes of season 2, I still have no idea whether the folks who make TMS believe it's Important TV or just high-priced melodrama. Either way, it's a lot more fun to watch this time around.”
“Compelling performers and their interpersonal storylines make The Morning Show watchable, even as the series' lecturing threatens to push the audience out of reach.”
“And yet, by the time the season gets going and all the bizarre twists start to kick in, it would be wrong to deny there’s an appeal. An inaccurate medieval illustration of an elephant is still charming, after all. Or at the very least, entertaining. Or, at the very very least, it elicits a response, even if that response is “how on Earth did this happen?”
Among the critics who’ve taken to The Morning Show season 2 somewhat more kindly, the consensus seems to be that it’s still far from great. However, silly and quirkier writing and the continued excellence of the star-studded cast seem to have upped the show’s appeal for some, creating a drama that still lacks impact and depth, but which delivers on sheer entertainment. Of course, not all critics think The Morning Show season 2 actually improves on season 1 in any meaningful way. Here are what some of the show’s harsher critics had to say.
“Without the storyline that gave The Morning Show all its power and nuance, we are left with the old luxury fluff, reacquainting ourselves with characters who aren't substantial enough to merely hang out with.”
“'The Morning Show' has become such a media object of fascination, I think, not just because the odds were so heavily stacked in its favor, but because it ultimately squanders so much of its potential.”
“There are too many people on this show, and without exactly being sure what the series’ point is, there’s no way for the writers to know who to focus on. But I just know it shouldn’t be the men. You have Reese Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston. At the very least give me a show about them, instead of Mark Duplass’ moping Chip.”
“This isn’t an insightful look at how sexual misconduct persists in American culture, a dissection of modern news consumption, or a hard look at who’s framing the world’s biggest stories; it’s a shouting match between powerful people terrified of losing their power. No one’s trying to tear down the system because no one understands why anyone would want to.”
Unfortunately, it appears that many of The Morning Show’s past issues with directionless arcs and shallow attempts at issue-based storytelling persist in season 2. It still looks expensive, it still has a phenomenal ensemble, and it sounds like it’s a bit less serious and more fun this time around. But as the series that was meant to be the poster child for Apple TV+, The Morning Show still seems to have fallen short of the mark.
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September 22, 2021 at 01:48AM
